Urban Air Mobility (UAM) systems offer a three-dimensional transportation alternative by using low-altitude airspace, with the potential to reduce travel times and improve access to mobility in regions underserved by current transportation systems. To support efficient design and operation of UAM systems, we develop an integrated optimization framework in response to three interrelated challenges: (i) land use, aeronautical feasibility, community acceptance and other factors that restrict the number of potential locations for vertiports, (ii) bidirectional demand–supply interaction that needs to be considered, as the level of service influences demand for UAM and operators adjust the level of service in response to demand, and (iii) strong interactions between strategic decisions on the distribution of ground infrastructure, tactical decisions on eVTOL fleet size and operational decisions on dispatching and repositioning. Analyzing the decisions in isolation can lead to poor estimates of the overall system performance. The framework consists of (1) a knock-off criteria analysis model for the identification of a realistic set of candidate locations for vertiports, (2) integer programming models in which strategic, tactical and operational decision levels are modeled, and (3) pre-processing techniques to generate near-optimal solutions for real-world instances. By applying the framework in a large-scale real-world setting in the Île-de-France region, we demonstrate complex interactions between strategic, tactical, and operational decision levels and customer demand, revealing various trade-offs between operator profit and traveler generalized travel costs. ... Read more

Hydrogen (H2) is currently being investigated as a sustainable energy carrier for aircraft to decarbonise primarily short- and medium-haul aviation. Although hydrogen- powered aircraft can eliminate in-flight carbon dioxide and possibly reduce non-CO2 effects [1], research is required to initiate and mature the hydrogen supply infrastructure and daily airport operations for such aircraft. The GOLIAT (Ground Operations of LIquid hydrogen AircrafT) project [2] seeks to overcome the current obstacles in technologies, regulations, processes, and economics to make widespread daily use of hydrogen at airports. In the GOLIAT project, we will develop comprehensive liquid hydrogen (LH2) demand and supply-matching models for air transport ground infrastructures. Future analyses will provide techno-economic insights by comparing forward-looking scenarios. To initiate the modelling and analyses, we first need to define the scope and develop new scenarios based on currently available literature and knowledge... ... Read more